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Health

24th Jun 2015

Smoothie and Juice Lovers Won’t Be Happy With This…

For reals.

Cathy Donohue

If we had a euro for every time we’ve heard the phrase “my Nutri-Bullet has changed my life”, it’s safe to say we would be VERY rich. 

While smoothies and juices are widely believed to have numerous health benefits, new research shows they might have a detrimental effect too.

In conversation with Marie Claire, celebrity dentist Dr Uchenna Okoye said that the since juice became the “in” thing, oral hygiene has suffered considerably.

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Why? It’s pretty simple really, the fructose found in most fruits damages tooth enamel, which in turn leads to decay.

“I’ve seen a 50 per cent increase in tooth decay in the last six months, and a significant proportion of it is among clients who drink fresh juice daily” said Okoye.

“Juice from fruits have a high acid content and can damage the enamel of your teeth in exactly the same way that a fizzy drink does” she continued.

While this is pretty annoying news if you’re a juice and/or smoothie fan, there is a way around it.

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Simply use a straw and that way, the “corrosive fruit acid will bypass your teeth”, it’s also recommended to rinse your mouth out with water to “reduce the acidic residue”.

Brushing your teeth after drinking juice is a bad idea as you’re pretty much brushing the harmful acid right onto your teeth and instead Okoye recommends cleaning your teeth 20 minutes before drinking the aforementioned juice.